MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Slavery and human trafficking remain a hidden blight on our global society.  We all have a responsibility to be alert to the risks, however small, in our business and in our wider supply chain. Bauer Media UK is committed to ensuring slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere within our business or our supply chain.  We have a responsibility to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere within our business or our supply chain.

 

This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes our Group's slavery and human trafficking statement for the current financial year.

 

ORGANISATION’S STRUCTURE

Bauer Media UK is an entertainment network of iconic, multi-platform brands. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world's largest privately owned media business with media assets all over the globe.

Founded in Hamburg in 1875 and now in its fifth generation of family ownership, the Bauer Media Group operates in 13 countries including the UK, Germany, Poland, Australia, and the USA and has 15,000 employees worldwide.  

In the UK we reach 25 million consumers.

Our portfolio includes heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Motor Cycle News, Parkers, TV Choice, Take a Break, Bella, Magic and Absolute Radio.

This statement is made on behalf of Bauer Media UK, the trading name for our UK operations undertaken by H Bauer Publishing, HBVB and their respective subsidiaries including Bauer Consumer Media Limited and Bauer Radio Limited.

OUR BUSINESS

Our Bauer Media UK business is organised into three main divisions: audio, magazines and digital.  In the UK we reach over 25 million consumers. Our portfolio includes heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Motor Cycle News, Parkers, TV Choice, Take a Break, Bella, Magic and Absolute Radio.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANTI-SLAVERY INITIATIVES

The primary responsibility for understanding modern slavery risks and putting in place process and training lies with our Legal Compliance Director and is responsible for the production of the Modern Slavery Statement. Any identified instances of slavery will be reported to the Legal and Compliance Director.

Department heads are directly responsible for ensuring that new suppliers in areas identified as being a risk are audited prior to use.

OUR SUPPLY CHAINS

Our UK supply chain includes:

  • Print and logistics suppliers

  • Freelance editorial suppliers

  • Freelance radio suppliers

  • Technology suppliers

  • Event and award suppliers

  • Professional services

  • Facilities services.

 

OUR POLICIES ON SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. Our Supplier Conduct Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.

Our objective is to ensure that we only work with suppliers who treat their obligations towards modern slavery with the same importance as we do.

 

DUE DILIGENCE PROCESSES FOR SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk we have systems in place to:

  • identify and assess potential risk areas in our supply chains.

  • mitigate the risk of slavery and human trafficking occurring in our supply chains.

  • monitor potential risk areas in our supply chains.

  • protect whistle blowers.

SUPPLIER ADHERENCE TO OUR VALUES

We have zero tolerance to slavery and human trafficking. We expect contractors and all those in our supply chain to comply with our Supplier Conduct Policy.

We send annual Supplier Code of Conduct questionnaires to all our suppliers. 

In addition, our supplier terms and conditions require suppliers to comply with our Supplier Conduct Policy thereby reducing the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chain. In the case of high-risk suppliers, the contracts include audit and termination rights to enable more effective monitoring of those suppliers and to enable us to take the relevant action.

TRAINING and policies

 

We have policies in place to ensure that we meet our responsibilities to respect and protect human rights, including in relation to modern slavery, including policies covering: economic governance; access to information; engagement with young people; safety security and wellbeing; access to grievance and remedies; discrimination and human rights.

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, we will communicate our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy and provide mandatory annual training to all members of staff.

This statement has been approved by

 

Paul Keenan                                                                               Rob Munro-Hall

President of Audio                                                                        President of Publishing

 

 

April 2021